Cigarette-case



R. A. TALBOT.

CIGARETTE CASE.

APPLICATloN FILED 1AN.22, 1920.

I.. I r I I I I I I l I I I I I I I l .L I I /w/@ii/W fr@ 7 mmm/fa: MM

UITED STATES CIGARETTE-CASE.

Application filed January 22, 1920.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RUSSELL A. TALBOT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Cranston, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cases for holding and dispensing cigarettes, cigais, matches or similar aiticles; and the object of this invention is to provide an improved casing of this character in which certain details of construction and arrangement of the operating parts, render the case mostefficient. .l

This improved casing is of the type designed to contain articles which are disposed side by side within it and are fed along toward one end thereof, the foremost article of the group being ejected through a discharge opening in the side Wall of 'the casing.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a casing which shall be handsome j and attractive in appearance and which shall possess a smooth exterior surface without sharp angles, edges or corners whereby it may be most readily inserted into and removed from the pocket of the user.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in this casing whereby the ends of the articles carried therein, shall be engaged by the inwardly-projecting edgeflanges of the casing to prevent the articles from being forced out by the action of the feed-spring or from falling out if for any reason the case should be accidentally turned upside down with the lid open.

Another obj ect of the invention is the provision of means whereby the end flange of the casing may releasably retain and completely house the feeding mechanism, when drawn back and the spring compressed to permit the unhampered filling of the casing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved casing, showing a lid open and the feeding mechanism as acting upon the articles held therein.

Specification of Letters Patent.

llatented May 31, 1921i. serial No. 353,293.

Fig. 2 is a plan view sectioned on line 2'-2 of Fig. 3, showing the feeding mechanism as compressed and the spring contracted within the space covered by the end flanges; also indicating in dotted lines the opposite ends of the cigarettes in the casing as entending beneath the edge flanges.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation'on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the feeding follower as engaged by the retaining fingers with the spring 1n compressed position in one end of the case.

Fig. illustrates-the general construction of my improved feeding spring and follower.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4 through the follower, showing the overhanging edge by which it is engaged to be lifted into engagement with the detents. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section illustrating the lid assIightIy open, also illustrating the catch member thereon as designed to release the feeding mechanism and also secure the lid when moved to closed position. Fig. 7 is a detail of the ejector member in perspective.

`eferring to the drawing, casing is preferably formed of two oppositely-disposed, dish-shaped members and 11, connected together by solder or otherwise at their meeting edges 12. One of these dish-shaped members has a bottoni portion 13 while that of the other is cut away as at 14, to provide an opening into the casing thus formed.

By this construction the open side of the casing is provided with deep, inwardlyturned, side walls or side flanges 15, the inner edges of which are struck downwardly as at 16 to form inset lips against which the edges of the lid 17 may rest Vwhen closed. These lips extend substantiallythe length of the opening, an end space 1S. however, being left of sufficient width to permit the end of the last cigarette to be passed down into position when the case is being filled. i

This casing is also provided with two correspondingly deep end flanges 19 and 20, the end flange 20 serving to house the ejector member 2l with its operating spring 22, which ejector is connected by means of the arm 23 to the operating thumb-piece 2l, one portion 25 of the ejector being adapted to extend through the end wall 26 and its eX- my improved tremity 27 bein twined downward to engage the end of t e cigarette or article which is presented thereto, to force it out through the discharge opening 28 when desired.

rEhe edge 29 of the end flange 19 at the opposite end of this casing, is provided with inwardly-extending lips or detent fingers 30 for the purpose of engaging the follower 31 when thefeeding spring 32 is compressed beneath the flange 19 and this follower is raised from its normal operating position into engagement with these side fingers 30. lin other words, when it is desired to refill the casing the follower' 31 i-s engaged by fingers ofthe operator and drawn back under the edge 29 of the flange 19 compressing the folding spring 32 entirelyfbeneath this fiange, then the operator by engaging the over-hanging edge 33 of this feeder raises it from its norimal position up into *the position best illustrated in Fig. 6, in which the edge 341 of the follower engages these detent lips 30 holding the whole back completely housed beneath this over-hanging flange, in which position it is retained during the filling of the casing, the whole storing space of which is left entirely free to be refilled.

rl'he lid 17 is hinged at 35 to the edge of the inwardly-turned flange at the discharge end of the casing and the outer or free end of this lid is provided with a latch 36 so arranged that when the lid is closed this latch will pass through a slight recess 38 in the edge ofthe flange 19 whereby it is caused to engage-the upper edge 33 of the follower and force the same downwardly and out of engagement with its detents 30 thereby releasing this feeding mechanism to act upon and feed the arti-cles in the casing toward the discharge end thereof. This latch is so constructed that upon passing the edge of the flange, it will spring forwardly, engage the same and releasably retain the lid in closed position.

It will be noted that the deep, inwardlyturned, side walls or flanges 15 serve a double purpose; first, they overhang sufficiently to permit the ends of the articles, such as cigarettes, cigars, matches or the like, when placed therein, :to project therebeneath, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, in which figure the dotted line 16 illustrates the edge of the inwardly-rturned side flanges, while the cigarettes are illustrated by the dotted lines 39 showing their ends 40 as projecting well beneath these flanges, which serve as deep longitudinally-disposed channels or grooves to retain them in the casing and prevent them from riding, rolling up or being lifted one upon the other under pressure of the feeding spring, also preventing them from falling out should the casing be accidentally turned upside down with the lid open.

These inturned side flanges also perform another function which is that of guiding the ends 41 of the fol-lower, which extend therebeneath, as best illustrated in Fig. 3.

It is found in the practical construction and operation of the zigzag of folding spring thait where the stock is bent at a sharp angle at the fold, such a spring will not operate successfully for any length of time but will soon break at the point of folding.

To obviate this serious difficulty and render the feeding mechanism effective 1 have formed a loop 37 at each of the folds, which render the springs practically unbreakable.

Another feature in the construction of this spring is ythat the arms of the spring are formed in somewhat of an ogee or S-shape, whereby when contracted or partially contracted the arms of the spring from the folds `inward are caused to lie or roll against and suppolit each other thereby rendering the spring `much more effective and efficient than a spring having its arms straight from one folding point to the other.

The operation is as follows llVhen the case has been loaded and the ,lid closed the follower is released as described, permitting the pressure of the spring 32 to advance the articles along beneath the overhanging, side edges of the casing, the foremost cigarette or arti-cle being ejected lthrough the discharge opening 28 a sufficient distance to be readily grasped by the thumb and finger and withdrawn. The spring 22 instantly retracts the ejector 21 as soon as released, into position to engage the next cigarette or article of the row, which is now advanced to take the place of the one ejected. j

These operations are repeated until the last cigarette or article has been discharged whereupon the lid may be opened by engaging the edge with the thumb-nail, the follower retracted and locked beneath the overhanging end flange, the case reloaded and 110 the lid again closed, thereby releasing the follower, permitting the feeding mechanism to again operate upon the contents of the case.

My improved case is handsome and at- 115 tractive in'appearance, is most practical in construction and efficient in its operation.

' The foregoing description is directed solely toward the construction illustrated, vbut I desire it to be understood that I reserve the 120 privilege of resorting to all the vmechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, .the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A case of the character described conrprising a body portion having inturned side edges providing a groove or channel of subl stantial depth on either side to receive and guide the ends of articles laid transversely 130 therein, means for discharging the articles one by one from the end of the body, and means for automatically feedingthe reinaining articles forward in the body to take the place of those discharged therefrom.

2. A case of the character described, comrising a body portion open on one side and aving inwardly-turned, integralside portions providing longitudinally-disposed side edge groovesf or channels adapted to receive overlap and tguide the opposite ends of the article laid transversely therein, means at one end of the casing forl ejectin the articles one at a time, and means or automatically feeding the articles forwardly beneath said interned sides to take the place of each as ejected. I

3. A case of the character described,l comprising a body portion open on one side, a

lid to close said opening, a discharge opening at one end of said case, a spring, a spring pressed follower guided at its ends in said casing for feeding the articles squarely forward in the case toward said discharge end, an inwardly-extending side -wall or flange on the end of the case opposite the discharge end, an inwardly-extending lip on said flange, and means whereby said follower may be lifted to engage said lip and so retained together with said spring temporarily ininoperative position housed beneath said end flange.

4. A case of the character described, comprising a body portion open on one side, a lid to close said opening, a discharge opening at one end of said case, a spring, a spring pressed follower guided at its ends in said casing for feeding the articles squarely forward in the case toward said discharge end, an inwardly-extending end wall or Harige on the end of the case oppo site the discharge end, an inwardly-extending lip on said flange, means whereby said follower may be lifted to` engage said lip and so be retained together with said spring temporarily in inoperative position prising a body portion open on one side, a

discharge opening at one end of said case, a lid hinged to the discharge end of the body to close said opening, a spring-pressed follower for feeding the articles in the case toward said discharge end, said case having a deep inwardly extending end flange, a detent on said flange, said follower (being adapted to be lifted into engagement with said detent and so be retained in inoperative position housed beneath said end flange, a latch on the free end of said lid adapted to release said follower to function when the lid is closed, said latch then engaging said flange to detachably retain said lid in closed position.

6. ln a case of the character described, a body portion, means at one end thereof for ejecting the articles in the casing as desired,

`means in the `casing for advancing the i'emaining articles to take the places of those ejected, said means including a spring folded in a zigzag shape and having a loop at the folds, and the arms or leaves of the spring being formed normally in ogee shape to engage and support each other for a portion of their length upon being coinpressed. l

ln testimony whereof ll afx my si nature.

RUSSELL A. TAL 0T. 

